Opening Doors is the final report from the B.C. – Canada Expert Panel on the Future of Housing Supply and Affordability. The group was established in 2019 to identify actionable recommendations to increase housing supply and improve affordability in B.C.
Key insights:
The report features 23 policy recommendations that can be categorised under 5 broad calls to action, including:
- Creating a planning framework that proactively encourages housing
- Reforming fees on property development
- Expanding the supply of community and affordable housing
- Improving coordination among and within all orders of government
- Ensuring more equitable treatment of renters and homeowners.
More granular policy recommendations are detailed in the report also, including:
- Streamlining approvals processes
- Increasing transparency on development charges
- Extending tax advantages to renter households
- Phasing out some subsidies offered to homeowners